The Trophy
by wyredsisters
Summary: FINISHED! Ron, Draco, Hermione and Harry are captured by Death Eaters! Love Triangles! Shirtless Draco, funny Harry, crying Ron and bullying Lucius! All of them cursing! But in the end, who will Hermione choose?
1. Chapter 1

Hey people!  I'm glad that you decided to read my story.  If you read, review!  I will post one chapter every Friday and am looking for ideas on what to do.  IF you have some, tell me in a review!.  Hope you all like.

Disclaimer:  Sadly, I am not a rich, genius woman living in England.  I am just poor me who doesn't write books and doesn't own any of the characters in this story *sigh*

Ron

Potions.  Why do we have potions on Fridays?  Why do we have potions at all?  I glanced around at the dungeon, hating everyone and everything in there.

Well, everyone except Hermione.

Hermione was working next to me, completely involved in her work.  Her brown hair was pulled back in a messy bun at the nape of her neck.  She was able to keep it well managed now with a smoothing spell.  Her chocolate eyes were fixed with concentration at the complex potion.  I remember the way she had stared like that at the Polyjuice Potion three years ago.  She put so much work into it, making sure that everything was perfect.

The bell ending the class period rang and brought me back to the present.  I was quickly gathered my things when Hermione started talking to me.

"How do you think you did on that one?"

"Hmm?  Oh, badly.  I forgot to put the griffin feather in before the newt eyes."  I moved closer to look at the potions instructions.  She was standing very close to me, so close I could smell her hair.

"Oh, Ron, you're not going to pass the exams if you keep on forgetting simple things like that.  If you fail potions you have to repeat fifth year!  What will you do if --"  Hermione never got to ask what I would do because the worst excuse for a human decided that we were bothering him some how, and went into an insulting fit.

"Weasley!  Are you trying to take Potter's girl while he's out sulking," Malfoy tusked.  There were two lies in that sentence.  One was that Hermione was Harry's girlfriend.  She wasn't.  She wouldn't be.  It wasn't even discussed.  

Second, was that Harry was out sulking.  After the return of The Dark Lord, Sirius had decided that it would be safer to take Harry out of school and put him under the Fildelus Charm.  He would be returning as soon as He Who Must Not Be Named was defeated.  

"Shut your trap, Malfoy," I said, trying to remain calm, but, by the look on Hermione's face, was failing.  "You're nothing put a lousy piece of scum."

"Such bitter insults.  Scum!  Ha!  You are the one who associate yourself with muggles, and even worse," he paused and nodded towards Hermione, "mudbloods."  Hermione gave him a look that said she didn't care, so I just ignored that comment.  Unfortunately, he took it as encouragement.  "What?  No retaliation?  I tell you, you two must be so tired from shagging all night that --"

This is when I lost it.  I couldn't, wouldn't take this shit from Malfoy.  I took a step towards that little ferret, and punched him squarely in the nose.  

He stood back for a second, shocked that I hit him.  But this did not last long.  Malfoy punched me in the stomach, and 

soon I had one arm around Malfoy's waist, and the other was pummeling his face.  He was doing the same to me.

"Stop it!" Hermione protested.  But she couldn't do anything.  After five years of hating each other, this fight was one where we could let it all loose.  No one could stop us now.

"Weasley!  Malfoy!"

That is, until I realized that we were still in the potions dungeon.  And Snape was standing, glaring as though I had hit him instead of Malfoy.

"Fighting is unacceptable.  Fifty points from Gryffindor and twenty five from Slytherin."

"Wait!  That's not fair --"

"And detention for Weasley."

This sucked.  I was just about to get really abusive with Snape, against my good judgment, when Malfoy said, "Thank you, Professor Snape."  I think it was that very smug smirk on his face that did it.

"You have detention too, Mr. Malfoy."  With that, Snape tromped back to his office.  I couldn't help but smile at Hermione, but she just stormed off.

"Damn."  I hurried after her, apologizing for all I was worth.  I consider the worst thing in the world is to have Hermione mad at you.

Hermione

"Hermione, wait!"

I spun around and glared.  His blue eyes showed something I had never seen in them when he looked at me before: fear.

"I... I can explain --"

"Explain what?  Why you didn't deny it?  Why you didn't say that you didn't feel that way?  Why you didn't say that we were just friends?  Well, why?  I am waiting."

"Because I couldn't!" he snapped.  He didn't need to say anything else.  I knew from his expressive blue eyes exactly what he was feeling.

I had felt the same way in September.  I had thought that I loved Harry.  I guess it was after reading Rita Skeeter when I decided that I loved him.  I told him at the beginning of the term and he said that he just wanted to be friends.  When he said that , I realized that I felt relived.

I knew then that I didn't love Harry.  Love was what my parents had together.  I didn't love anybody as much as they loved each other.  Not Harry.  Not Viktor.

And especially not Ron.

"Hermione... I ... err" he was stuttering when I returned from my thoughts.  " I think that I..."

"The late bell is going to ring in a minute!" I exclaimed.  "I need to get to class." I couldn't help running as I left that hallway.  

"Hermione!" Ron yelled after me, but I didn't turn around.  I couldn't.

When I reached my Advanced Charms class, I sat at my desk and cried.

Draco

"Stupid Weasley," I muttered as I polished Ron Wesley's award for special services.  I had spoken soft enough so he couldn't hear me, but I swear, he turned and glared at me that exact moment.  I glared back.

Much of the night had been like this.  He glares at me, I glare at him, then we both turn back to our trophies and mutter under our breath.  This had been going on for four hours.

The door to the trophy room burst open and in walked Granger carrying a basket of food.  I say walked, but I should say floated.  I found that Granger has to much grace to simply walk.

"Hey," she said softly to Weasley.  "I thought you might be hungry.  After all, you missed dinner.  I picked up some butterbeer and some sandwiches."  Weasley turned to face her.  I could see from the tender way he took the basket that they had had some kind of fight.

Light bulb!  I plastered on a smirk and spoke loudly across the room.  "If you though he was horny, would you bring him some prostitutes, too."  I just love my insults.

This one sent Weasley running at me, but Granger caught his sleeve and stopped him.  I can't say that I wasn't grateful.  I did have quite a few bruises from the last fight.

"Oh, I'm sorry.  That must be Granger's job."  Granger breezed over and slapped me.  Hard.  "OW!"

"Ha, ha."  Weasley got to much pleasure out of that.

"Just because you don't have any morals, doesn't mean that no one else does," Granger said coldly.  I spun around, picked up Potter's trophy.  Ceremoniously, I spat on it.  Then I took the rag and polished it.  I set it down angrily and ambled over to the door.  With a menacing glance at Granger, I stepped outside and slammed the door.

"_Aromahola" _I whispered, locking the door.  Now the door could only be opened from the outside.  Tomorrow was the first day of Christmas break and no one would have any reason to go inside until they all got back.

"What are you doing out here?"

I spun around to face Filch and an angry looking Mrs. Norris.  

"You have detention, get back in there," he said.

"But, I finished," I protested.

"Not until you both come out.  Now get back in there."

"But, --" I started to protest again, but Filch opened the door and pushed my back in, shutting the door firmly behind me.

"Damn."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I put this one out early because there was nothing else to do but read homework.  Not that any of you really care, because no one is reading this story.  If you are, and you're thinking, "Hey!  I'm reading this story!" then why didn't you review?  That's why the review buttons are there.  Tell me what I'm doing wrong with the story.  Give me suggestions, because I'm making this up as I go along.  

Disclaimer:  I don't own any of these character!  Wish I did and that I was the one making million, but I don't.  Don't sue.

Disclaimer #2:  This is only half of the wiredsisters writing this.  I believe that I am referred to as wiredsister 1.  I am the older one, and the other had no part in this story what so ever.

Ron

After the door slammed shut, I turned to Hermione.  "Listen, Hermione," I started.  "I just wanted to apologize for that fight in the dungeon.  I will try not to let him get to me anymore."  I had decided that I could wait for a better time to tell Hermione how I feel.  

"Ron, I --" she started when the door burst back open and in walked Malfoy.

"Damn," he said simply.

"Oh, bugger.  I thought you'd left," I said without looking at him.

"Damn!" he said with more feeling this time.  He tried turning the door knob, but it seemed like it wouldn't open.  "No, no, no!  _Alohamora!  Finte Incatanium!  _God damn it!"

I shot a puzzled look at Hermione.  "Malfoy has finally gone nutters," I stated.  Hermione guffawed.

"I know you two might think that this is hilarious, but we happen to be locked in here!"

"What?" I exclaimed.  I ran to the door and tried he knob, but it wouldn't budge.  "Ahh!"  I decided that yelling at the door would be the best course of action.  "Open you, bloody, stupid, door!  Open, open, OPEN!"

"Ron, calm down.  There has to be a way to open the door.  Malfoy, how did the door get locked."

"Err," Malfoy stammered, looking somewhat lost as he gazed at Hermione.  "The... err... I don't know," he said at last.  "I went outside, got turned around, and next thing I knew, I was back in here."  He held his gaze and stared into Hermione's eyes.  She was staring back.

I didn't like this.  I cleared my throat, loudly, making both of them jump.  I gave Hermione a look and Malfoy continued what ever it was he was saying.  

"So, now I seem to be stuck in a small space, with only one bathroom, a picnic hamper of food, a filthy weasel, and a mudblood."

"And we're stuck here with a Death Eater."  I looked at Hermione, hoping she'd be proud that I had not fought Malfoy over her honor, but before I good get either a yay of nay from her, I was slammed up against the door.  Malfoy had his arm across my neck and his other balled up and hanging menacingly a foot from my face.

"Never call me that, Weasley.  Never!" he told me, his voice low and threatening.  

"Honestly!  Could you two spend five minuets with pounding each other's faces?  Good Lord, just try to get along!  We're going to be here for a week!  That's too long for you idiots to be fighting." Hermione called from the other side of the room.  She looked mad.  God, she was pretty when she was mad.  "Now, how about a compromise?  We won't call you a Death Eater if you don't use the words 'Mudblood, filthy,' or weasel.'"

"Fine," Malfoy said, though he did not look to happy about it.  But Hermione smiled at him.  From the look in his eyes, I could tell that all was forgotten to him when she smiled. 

 He smiled back!  Malfoy actually smiled!

What the fuck is going on between them?

Hermione

How come the people who never smile are always the ones with the best smiles?  Is it just the fact that it looks different on them that makes everyone like the smile?  Or is it something else?

Malfoy was smiling now, and he looked pretty darn cute while he was doing it.  

Oh, my god.  Did I just think that?

I looked at Ron, and from the disgusted look on his face, I wondered if he could read minds.

"So, we don't have that much food, but lets organize it.  We'll divide it into three piles, making sure that each one has equal amounts.  Each pile can go to one of us.  Then, we can each split our pile into seven different sections and only eat one section a day.  That's what they did when five students got stuck in the Ravenclaw common room once.  I read about it in Hogwarts: A History.  The survived four a month before their families realized that they never came home for the summer holidays..." I realized that I was babbling now, but didn't care.

"Whatever.  I'm going to sleep."  Malfoy opened the bathroom door, entered, and slammed it behind him.

"Hermione, we have to talk."

"Not now, Ron."

"Why not now?  It's not like we have anywhere else to be."

"Well..."

"Hermione, listen.  I've been thinking a lot lately, about you.  And, well, I think that I might--"

"Ron, stop!"

"What?"

"I know what you're going to say."

"You do?"

"And I don't want you to say it."  

Ron looked down at the ground.  "Oh."

"Ron,"

"No, I understand.  You're still in love with Harry."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes.  You are.  You've been distant, lately.  I can tell you're thinking about him.  I know that you think about him everyday, because I think about you everyday.  Every night, I--"

"No.  I don't want to hear it."  I went to the closet door.  I had to get away from this.  I didn't want to hear what he was going to say.  The door to the bathroom opened easily and I went inside.  

"Bloody hell!  Don't you knock?"  Malfoy was standing shirtless in the middle of the room.  But for some reason, I didn't care.  I just sat on the floor facing away from him.

"What's wrong, Granger?  Boyfriend dump you?"  I could tell he was smirking even though I couldn't see him.  I started to cry.

"Hermione, are you alright?"  Malfoy moved behind me.  I could hear him kneel.  Then I felt his hand on my shoulder.

Draco

"Want a butterbeer?" I asked, handing her one.

"How did you get that?"

"I stole the basket while you were blabbering about Ravenclaws.  You two should be less trusting."  I held the butterbeer closer to her and she accepted it.

"You shouldn't have done that," she told me after three butterbeers.  We were sitting on the edge of the bathtub in the bathroom.  Why there was a tub in the trophy room is beyond me.  Actually, why we have a bathroom connecting to the trophy room is beyond me.

"What?"

"Stolen the butterbeers.  Now we might not have any to drink for a while."

"Of course we will.  We can fill the empty bottles with the water from the sink," I said, sliding closer to her.

"Oh, yeah.  But you still shouldn't have done that," she said playfully swatting my arm.  I grabbed her wrist and starred into her eyes. 

"And I probably shouldn't do this either."  I leaned over and kissed her.  Her mouth was sticky from the butterbeer but she kissed back willingly.  I dropped her wrist and placed my hand gently on her waist as hers mussed my perfectly gelled hair.

She pulled away from me and giggled.  "You're right.  You shouldn't have done that."  But before I could respond, she was kissing m, passionately.  But this time, her hands were lower then my hair.

I pulled back quickly.  "You're drunk," I stated.  But she threw herself at me, knocking me over backwards into the tub.  Now she was on top of me, hands roaming and her lips fixed on one spot on my neck.

It would be lying to say that I didn't enjoy this.  It would be lying to say that I didn't have any thoughts about letting her take this as far as she wanted.  But one though came to mind:  What would she say after?

Forcefully, I pushed her off of me, and got out of the empty bathtub.  Hermione giggled.

"Jesus Christ!" I swore.  "Why can't you hold your damn liquor?"  She stood up, amazingly, and started undoing her robes.  I stood fixated, willing myself to stop her, but I couldn't. 

She reached back to unclip her bra when Weasley burst through the door.


	3. Chapter 3

AN:  Hey, devoted readers!  (that was a joke because I have none)  This is the next chapter, obviously.  Enjoy!  And if you do enjoy it, review!  And if you don't enjoy it, review!

Disclaimer:  Yes, that's right!  I am J. K. Rowling!  I read fanfiction, so I know what you all think will happen!  And then I laugh!  Mwhahaha!  Just joking, people.  I'm not.  I don't own Draco, or Hermione, or Ron, or the trophy room.  I do think that I own the bathroom that attaches to the trophy room, but if it was needed for the next book, I won't have a fit about owning it.

Ron

"What the hell?" I exclaimed.  This was not what I expected to find when I walked in here.  I was expecting to see Hermione crying and Malfoy making rude comments.  I was NOT expecting Hermione to be doing a strip tease for Malfoy.

Quickly, I pulled out my wand.  "_Rusemu!" _I cried.  I remembered that spell because we had used it on Harry after someone had spiked his pumpkin juice at dinner.  The spell made a drunk person somber.

Hermione looked dazed for a moment, then focused.  She looked down, looked at Malfoy, looked at me, and screamed.  She quickly grabbed her robes from the ground and wrapped them around her chest.

"What the hell were you just doing, Hermione?"

With a quick glance at Malfoy, she started speaking.  "I got really drunk.  I don't remember what I was thinking, but I remember doing it.  Malfoy brought the picnic basket in here," she said, gesturing to the floor, which was littered with butterbeer bottles.

I glared at Malfoy, who was grinning like a man lost in the desert who had just found a spring.  He caught my glance and started to talk.  "Yeah.  No more butterbeer for you, Granger," he said, unenthusiastically.

"You don't sound particularly unhappy about that," I said, glaring.

"What if I'm not?" he shot back.  Hermione pulled out her wand, and muttered a few words.  Malfoy and I went flying backwards out of the room.  

"What the hell?" he muttered.

"I guess we're sleeping out here tonight," I said.

"Unfortunately."

I gave him a very icy glare.  "Now listen here, Malfoy.  I love Hermione, and, deep down, she loves me.  You will not do anything to stop her from figuring this out.  For the rest of this week, you will stay as far away from her as possible.  Got that?"

He gave me an icier glare.  "I don't think that I will.  I don't have to take any of your shit, Weasley.  If I want Hermione, you're not going to be the reason why I don't have her.  Oh, and if she loves you so much, why was she crying on the floor just a few minuets ago."  Malfoy spun around, and stormed to the other side of the room.  When he did this I saw something I hadn't seen before.

A dark colored bruise on Malfoy's neck.

Hermione

My watch told me it was midnight when I creped out of the small bathroom.  I hadn't been able to sleep, and decided that I might was well open the file cabinet in the room.  It held records of everyone who had a trophy.  It was rumored that some of the information would be on the NEWTS.

The room was dark, but I remembered where the file cabinet was.  I felt my way there, fast.  I hated the dark.  I always felt that someone could be there, and I not know about it in the dark.  I knew that its stupid, but I just like knowing what's going on.

When one of my hands touched the cold metal, I rejoiced.  I felt for the handle, opened the drawer, and randomly pulled out a file.  I turned around and started to run back the bathroom, when my foot hit something.  I went tumbling to the ground.

I felt my hand brush something, and then the something moving!

A hand clamped over my mouth, a body covered mine, and I could feel a wand at my throat.  I tried to scream, but all that came out was a whimper.

"Hermione?"  Oh, I thought.

"Get off of me, Malfoy," I tried to say, but all that came out was, "hem omm om mo, Mamoy."

"Oh."  He moved his hand and I was able to talk again.  But he was still on top of me.  

"What are you doing?" I whispered, hoping we didn't wake Ron.

"Sorry.  When people step on me when I'm asleep, I panic.  Forgive me," I told me, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I just wanted something to read.  I wasn't counting on someone sleeping in the middle of the goddamn floor."  It's not often that I curse, but I was feeling kind of nervous, because he was still on top of me.

"Sorry.  If you must know, my father sent people to attack me while I was sleeping when I was younger.  He thought it would make me more careful or something."

"Get off of me, Draco," I said, but not sounding as rude as I had tried to before.  He did.

"Hermione, we need to talk."

"God!  Did you know that that's the second time someone has said that to me today?"

"But we do."

"What about?  About what happened before.  I was drunk, Draco."

"I wasn't."

"What?  Of course you were.  Don't be stupid."

"I was perfectly somber.  I knew what I was doing."

"I'm sorry then.  I don't know what that meant, but whatever it did, I just want to forget about it."

"It meant that I like you.  I want to be with you," he had a pleading tone in his voice just then.  He sounded like a little boy.

"I don't want to be with you."  I got up and made my way back to the bathroom.

"Yes, you do," he said from behind me.

I turned back to him.  "No, I don't."

"Then why have you been calling me 'Draco?'"

Draco

I sat up abruptly.  I went to the door and tried it again, but it was still locked.  "Damn."

I looked around the room that we were imprisoned in.  Ron was sprawled out on the floor, his long limbs spread in every direction.  The door to the bathroom was still closed, like it had been after my conversation with Hermione. 

I went to the picnic basket and opened it up.  I noticed that there was much more food then I expected and seen last night.  Hermione had gotten about fifty sandwiches from the kitchen, along with ten more butterbeers.  I guessed that she was nervous about something to allow the house elves to make all this food.

It only took me a few minuets before I had placed everything into three different piles.  I gave the extra butterbeer to myself, of course.

"Poisoning our food, are you Malfoy?"

I nearly jumped at the sound of Weasley's voice in my ear.  Nearly.

"What are you two doing?" Hermione asked as she exited the bathroom, looking amazingly beautiful.  "You separated the food.  I'm so glad that you guys set aside your differences to do something that helpful."  I smiled evilly at Weasley, who blushed because he didn't do a darn thing.

"Well, you know, we had some time on our hands," I said, shooting a look at Weasley, who turned even redder.  He looked away from my gaze, and Hermione's happy look. 

"The window!" he exclaimed, suddenly.

"What?"  Hermione followed is gaze.

"There's a window over there," he pointed to a corner of the room.  Sure enough, there was a window.  "We could get out that way."

All three of us ran over to look, but were disappointed to see that we were more then three stories up.  "Damn," I said.

Weasley punched the wall and bellowed.  Then he kicked the same wall and growled.  He punched again, and this time left a hole in the wall.

"Great.  Let's punch holes and make the room colder then it already is," I said sarcastically.  "Or we could throw Weasley out the window and build up body fat from his food."  Hermione laughed, but Weasley never did get my sense of humor.

"Why don't we throw you out, and then we won't have to look at your ugly face!"  His face turned a very red color, even though I had hardly said anything to be mad about.  "Come on, Hermione.  Let's leave this prick to make his jokes in peace."  He grabbed her hand and tried to lead her into the bathroom, but she obviously didn't want to go.

"Ron, I'm not just going to follow you around."

"What?  Would you rather stay here with Malfoy?"

Maybe I would."  Hermione glared.  I decided that I would not have any part in this fight, so I kept my mouth shut.

"You hate his as much as I do, Hermione.  You wouldn't stay with him."

"If I wanted to --"

"But you don't want to."

"Who are you to tell me what I want?"

"I'm your… best friend."

"Oh, yeah!"

"Yeah.  I know you better then anyone.  And I know that you hate Malfoy."

Hermione spun around to face me.  Before I knew what was going on, she had grabbed my face and pulled my lips to hers.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Hello all six of my adoring fans.  I love you all.  Really, I do.  Special thanks to Purple People Eater, who put me on her favorites list.  I jumped up and down when I read that review.  Anyways, this is the next chapter (ya think).  I hope you like it.

Disclaimer:  Come on.  J.K. Rowling would never bother to write fan fiction on fanfiction.net because all of hers gets published.  Get real, people.  Right, so I don't think that I own this.  I don't want any money if any of this is actually put in the book ( not that J.K. shouldn't give money to me).  Please don't sue me!

Ron

Normally, I consider myself a pretty rational guy.  But seeing the woman that I love kissing my life long enemy is a bit to much.

"ARG!"  I grabbed Hermione and threw her to the ground.  Then I pounced on Malfoy.

He looked rather confused as his head hit the floor hard.  I believe "dazed" is the word.

I dug my knees into his chest and started pounding on his face with my fists.  Somehow the sound of his breaking flesh sounded good and helped heal my pain.

All I could hear was the pounding and the sound that his face made as it hit the floor over and over.  Whack, thud.  Whack, thud.

"Oof."  Hermione had grabbed my shoulders and flung me on the floor.  My bottom hit the ground, which caused the "oof" sound I just made.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Me?  I'm not the one 'living large' on Draco."

"Draco?" I exclaimed.  He was still lying on the floor, by the way, and somewhat unconscious.  "I beg to differ.  You were 'living large' on 'Draco.'"  At the sound of his name, Malfoy moaned.

"Ron, calm down."

"I am calm!"  I kicked Malfoy in the ribs just to prove it.

Hermione gave me a glare that made Voldemort look like Ludo Bagman.  "Ron, go into the bathroom and don't come out."

"What?"

"You heard me."  Her eyes flashed and I knew she was serious.  I stormed into the bathroom and slammed the door, locking it behind me.

Then I kicked it.  I kicked it again.  Then, in a mad fit, I started tearing apart everything in sight..  I pulled the wooden rod that held up the towels of the wall.

Grasping it in both hands, I pictured Malfoy's face as the bathtub and let loose.

I beat the tub to a bloody pulp.

I was about to turn on the toilet when I started thinking.  How could she do that to me?  With him?

I could kill him.

I want to kill him.

I will kill him.

I swung the wooden rod at the full length mirror on the wall.  It shattered and I picked up a very large piece of glass, planning on digging it into his neck.

Then I realized the error of my plan.  "Ow!"  The shard had cut into my skin which was now bleeding.  I threw the shard on the ground.

I dropped to my knees in the center of the wrecked bathroom and started to cry, something I had not done in years.

I sat in that bathroom for nearly fifteen minutes before I saw it.  The answer to our prayers was right in front of us.  The one thing that could help us was right under our noses.

When I saw it, I gasped.  "Holy shit."

Behind where the full length mirror used to be, was a door.

Hermione

Thank Merlin I took those nursing classes last semester.  If I hadn't, I wouldn't have known how to stop the blood from oozing out of his nose, or how to cover up those bruises and abrasions on his eyes and cheeks.

The nose was easy to fix.  All I needed to do was wave my wand and utter a incantation.  But the bruises required water to heal them.

I went over to the picnic basket and pulled out a bottle of water.

"Ow," Draco said in a raspy voice.

"Well, that's what happens when you get hit:  It hurts."

"You say that like it was my fault," he said defensively.

"I'm sorry.  I shouldn't have done that.  I --"

"No, I probably would have done the same thing.  Don't worry about it."

There was a moment of silence when I walked to his side.

"How's my nose doing?" he asked, jokingly.

"I fixed you nose.  It was broken, but it won't be crooked."  I knelt beside him and put the bottle of water on his chest so I could work easier. 

"Ow!"

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Bottle... on... bruises," he said, straining.

"Oh!"  I snatched the bottle off of him and put it on the ground.  "How'd you get those?"

"From having 150 pounds of Weasley kneeling on me!" he complained.  "Just give me some chocolate for the bruises and I'll be ok."

One of the things about the wizarding world that I find amazing is that chocolate can cure emotional and physical bruises.  Unfortunately, I didn't think to bring chocolate.  "We don't have any chocolate.  You're going to have to take your shirt of so I can fix them."  I think I succeeded in not blushing as I said this.

"No!  I mean... err... that's ok.  Forget about them."  He looked really nervous and kind of frightened.  I figured that he was just embarrassed.

"I've seen shirtless guys before, Draco.  You need to take it off."

"No thanks," he said, turning somewhat pale.  I gave him the same glare that had sent Ron running into the bathroom.  "Ok."  He sat up and, unceremoniously, removed his shirt.  I gasped.

I must have been pretty upset last night not to remember how incredible he looked without his shirt.  His pale skin looked soft and smooth.  I was surprised that his arms and chest were so muscular because he had such a thin frame.  When you took Harry's shirt of, he looked wiry and gangly.  There were two dark bruises near Draco's shoulders where Ron's knees had been.

But none of this is what had made me gasp.

On each of his arms, running from shoulder to wrist, was a long, thick scar.

"Don't worry about that," he told me.

"What... what happened?" I asked, trying to hide my shock by starting to remove those ugly bruises.

"My father has anger management problems.  He did this when the Dark Lord was defeated fourteen years ago.  My mother told me that he needed the blood to make me swear to be just like him."  I gave him a confused look.  "He wasn't thinking very much.  He thought that if I swore, it would happen, even though I was very young back then.   He still thinks it works."  Draco was silent for a while.  His eyes were so expressive, I could practically read his thoughts before he said them.  This is why I wasn't surprised when he asked me, "Did it?"

He looked at me, his stormy, gray eyes full of question.  "Your father is the most evil man alive," I said calmly.  "You are not."

"Sure," he said, not believing.

"Draco," I said with more force.  I caught his hand and leaned forward so I could look directly into his beautiful eyes.  "You are not."

He looked back at me, his chin quivering like a little boy's.  I opened my arms and Draco buried his head in my hair.  I could feel him sobbing, though he was not making any sounds.  I wrapped my arms around him and held him close.

"Hermione," he whispered.  He sat up straighter.  There was no evidence that he had been crying on his face.

His hand moved to my face and before I knew what was happening, I was kissing Draco Malfoy for the third time in the last twenty four hours.

Draco

I moved my other hand so it was deep in her hair.  I loved the feel and texture of it running through my fingers.  Her hands were moving up and down my back, giving me a slight tickling sensation.

Then the bathroom door knob turned.  It sounded as if Weasley had forgotten that he had locked the door and then tried to burst out.

Quickly, Hermione and I broke apart.  I pulled out my wand and put the "cover up" charm on my scars so they were no longer visible.  I had forgotten to do that this morning.

Weasley finally figured out how the door worked and practically fell into the room.  "You'll... never... guess... what I just found," he gasped.  "Behind the mirror, in the bathroom, is a door."

Hermione and I glanced at each other, then sprinted for the bathroom.  Sure enough, where the mirror used to be, was a door.  It didn't have a knob, but if you pushed on it, it would open.

"Well.  What are we waiting for?  Let's go!" Followed shouted enthusiastically.  I looked over at Hermione.  I knew that we would never be able to have a relationship after we left the room.  Outside we would be met with the prejudice that we had once shown each other.

But these thoughts must not have occurred to Hermione, because she was already in through the door.  Weasley and I followed.

On the other side of the door was a passage way.  It was dark and there was a spider here and there, but nothing to uncomfortable.   Unless your Weasley, of course.  There were stair that led down so far that we could not see the bottom, even with all of our wands lit up.

"You first, Weasley."  He looked at me.  Hermione sent us an annoyed glance, and led the way down into the tunnel.

After about ten minuets of walking down the steps, they stopped and a long hallway was our new path.

"Where are we?" Weasley asked after what seemed an eternity of walking in silence.

"Well, since we've been walking in the same direction for about a half an hour and, due to the wet look of the walls, I would say that we are under the lake," Hermione said.  I never realized how sexy it was when she answered questions like that.

"Under the lake?  Is it going to cave in on us?"  Weasley asked, panicked.  Hermione didn't answer.  She had that look in her eyes that told me she didn't know.

After another twenty minuets of walking, we came to a turn in the path.  It was the first time that the passage way did not go straight ahead.  This is where Weasley made a declaration.  "I have to pee."

"What?"  Hermione looked appalled.

"I have to pee.  You both stay here, and I'll go over there," he gestured around the bend.  "I'll be right back."

As soon as he was around the corner, I grabbed Hermione and pushed her up against the wall.  Her hands found their way into my hair once more and mine into hers.  Our lips met in our most passionate kiss yet.

It didn't last long though.  I mean, how long could it take Weasley to pee.  I broke away first.  "I just had to know that I didn't just imagine it," I breathed.  She didn't say anything.  She didn't have to.  She just smiled.

"I'm done!" Ron called from around the corner.  We followed.

About another half an hour past before we saw what we had all been hoping for this entire time.

"It's another door!" Hermione exclaimed.  She wrapped her arms around Weasley, giving him a hug, then turned to me and did the same.  I thin she only hugged Weasley because she wanted an excuse to hug me.

We all rushed for it and I tried the knob.  "It's locked."

Hermione pulled out her wand and said "Alohamora."  The door knob clicked.  It was unlocked.

With one last happy glance at us, she yanked open the door to see... Death Eaters.

A whole room full of Death Eaters.  And among them was my father.

A/N:  That was fun.  This is a cliffhanger, as all the ends of my chapters have been.   I bet you didn't expect the Death Eaters, did you?  Oh, well.  Next chapter will be out be next Friday, but sooner if it snows tomorrow. 


	5. Chapter 5

A/N:  Sorry this chapter took so long, I was having a writers block.  You see I started writing this at school.  When I got home, I never felt like writing anymore, and what I wrote at school couldn't be used without much more work being done then I felt like doing.  Then I started writing here.  But I lost the document and had to start over, changing a whole lot of the plot and sequence of events.  But then I found this one, and _finally_ finished it.  Here it is!

Disclaimer:  I own nothing, except, perhaps, the unusual spelling of "Lucius" before I started getting it right.

Ron

Malfoy grabbed both of our collars and pulled us away from the door.  As soon as we were safely out of sight, we began asking questions that no one knew the answer too.

"How did they get in there?" Malfoy asked

"Did the apperate?"

"You can't apperate on school grounds."

"Well, what are they doing in there?" Malfoy questioned.

"Wasn't that your dad, Malfoy?"

"Yes, it was.  And he's wondering what his beloved son is doing with theses two worms."  We all turned to see Lucius Malfoy standing in the door way.

"Oh, shit," I swore.  Three more Death Eaters appeared grabbed us. 

"Get off of me!" Hermione screamed with no avail.  The Death Eater just chuckled and moved one of his hands lower.

"Don't touch her!" Malfoy and I screamed at the same time.

"Chain them up inside!"  The other Malfoy ordered.  "All of them."  Soon enough we were all chained to a wall inside.  "Well, well, well.  I do think that it is strange that my son tried to save you all.  I can't imagine why he did such a stupid thing."

I looked at Malfoy.  He had tried to save us.  Maybe he's not so evil as I once thought.

Then I noticed that he was looking at Hermione, the scum bag.

"You held out on me, father.  You never told me there was a meeting place that is under Hogwarts."

"There's not.  We are somewhere under the Forbidden Forrest, to be exact.  The passage way is for our young Death Eaters who cannot apparate to get here.  I assume you found it, though I would like to know how."  We were all silent.  I didn't want to reveal Hermione and my relationship problems, and I'm sure Hermione didn't want him to know either.

"Father, let them go.  They are of no use to you."  Was Malfoy really asking him to spare us?

"Ah, yes.  Well, I think they are."  Lucius Malfoy walked over to me, staring me straight in the eye.  "These are Harry Potter's two best friends."

"Do you really believe that after a year without seeing them, Potter is going to come running back here to save them?"

"Yes, son, I do.  If it was you, I wouldn't of course.  You would stab even your own family in the back.  But Potter has something you will never have.  Well more then one thing, but the one that is on topic would be that he cares about people."

"I care."

Both Hermione and I watched this discussion with a keen interest.  Both of us had no idea that Malfoy was talked to this way at home.  But it still didn't clear him from all that he had done to us.

"Do you?"  Mr. Malfoy asked.

"Yes.  About my friends.  The people who care about me.  People who wouldn't tie me up and insult me when I disobeyed them."

"You don't care about anyone," Lucius Malfoy said snidely.  "I never showed you care or tenderness, therefore you wouldn't,  or couldn't, show it."

"I can."  Malfoy (Draco, that is) had a determined look in his eye that I had never seen before.

"I doubt it.  But, whatever you choose to believe, you are free to believe.  I need to go plot now.  I will be back, and it is very likely that one of you will not survive my return."  Mr. Malfoy turned, his robes billowing out behind him.

"We should have ran," Hermione said quietly.

"Thanks for the helpful comment,"  I snapped.  "What are we going to do, now?"

"Sit.  Wait," Malfoy said curtly.

"Wait for what?  For your father to kill us?" I asked.

"Not all of us.  One of us," he said.

"Great.  Hope it's you," I told him, grumpily.  

"Will you two stop bickering?" Hermione hissed, when Lucius Malfoy came back.

"We have come to the conclusion, that these two "friends of Potter's" could be used as more then a hostage.  They could be used as Death Eaters."

Both Hermione and I gasped.

"Of course," he continued.  "Both of you will not share the same fortune, for the reason that killing you would be so much fun.  And then there is the question of you, Draco.  What to do with my betraying son?  I don't want to kill you, although you do deserve it.  Then it came to us:  Why not make it a little competition?"

I gulped, not sure what would happen.  But I knew one thing:  This is serious.

"So, we decided that the mudblood would be a much better candidate.  

Hermione

I gasped.  "No," I murmured, tears coming to my eyes.

Lucius Malfoy didn't seem to notice.  "After all, she was the brains behind that whole basilisk incident a three years ago.  So that leave the two boys."  Lucius Malfoy sent us a look of pure joy, like he couldn't wait to tell us how we would be killing each other.  "We will portkey them to Denver, or someplace, and the will make the journey to Malfoy Manor.   If you don't show up, the mudblood will die."

He paused here, as if he wasn't going to say anything more.  I couldn't process much anymore.  Ron or Draco would die.  DIE!  I couldn't take it if Ron died.  He had been my friend for so long, I couldn't imagine life without him.  But Draco, I couldn't' stand to see him gone.  Not after I just found my feelings for him.

"What will happen once we reach the manor, _father?_"  Draco spit out this last word with such hate that I couldn't imagine.

"Isn't it obvious?  One of you will die."

"Yes, but which one?" Draco asked with even more fire in his voice.

"The one that she chooses."  Malfoy pointed at me.

"What?" I exclaimed.  I could never choose between them.  Which one will live and which one will die is a question that I should never have to answer.

"Oh, don't worry, my dear."  Malfoy walked up to me and started to tug on a strand of hair that had fallen loose.  I spit in his face.  He stood back and wiped the spittle from his cheek and smirked.  "That will be the last time you do that."  The he continued what he was saying.  "I would never put such strain on you emotionally.  You will decide whether the first one to enter will die, or the last one.  And you will decide as soon as they leave.  If you choose the last, the then last one in will die.  If you choose the first, then the first one in will die.  And that will be how they depart this life."  

Guess work.  I would be shooting a gun, blindfolded, knowing that someone I love would die.  I turned my face and sobbed.

What happened next went in a blur.  The portkey took away the two people I cared so much about.  Malfoy cut my chains and I fell to the ground, my hands over my face, bawling for all that I was worth.

I couldn't take this.  I couldn't do this.  I couldn't kill people I care about and become a Death Eater.  I couldn't.

I don't know how it happened, but I looked up and I was no longer in that horrible room.  Now, I was in a dungeon.  A cold hard dungeon with chains on the wall.  I cried some more.

"Hermione," said a voice.

"Who's there?"  I looked around, but saw no one.  "Who's there?" I said with more feeling.

"Hermione, it's me."

"Who are you?"

"Me."  This was getting a tad redundant.  "Hermione, don't you know my voice."

And for the first time, I listened.  I played the sound patterns that had once been so familiar to me over in my head.  The voice that had said my name three times in the last thirty seconds, I had once begged to say my name once.  The voice that I had loved.

"Harry."

Draco

I smirked when the Death Eaters left.  I smirked and then I laughed.  I laughed.  "Oh, this is rich!"

"I hardly think this is a funny situation," Weasley said.

"But it is, it is," he said, still chuckling.

"How so?"

"My father once opened up to me, in a moment of weakness.  He told me about his curse."

"I bet that was you."

"Shut up!  I'm telling you a family secret!"

"Forgive me if I was rude, but ONE OF US IS GOING TO DIE!"

I started laughing again.  I only stopped because he looked like he was going to hit me again.  "Listen."  I took a deep breath.  "My father has a curse on him.  He can't lie!"  I started to snicker again.  

Weasley gave me a look that told me he thought I was nutters.  "I think you've had a little to much excitement."

"No, no, no."  I calmed myself.  "Even in vague statements, he can't lie.  Therefore, I have a plan."  I couldn't help giggling.

"Oh, good God!  Just tell me what the bloody plan is!"

"Ok, basically, my father said that will be how we die."

"Yes, I remember that."

"But he can't lie!"  I yelled again, trying not to laugh.  

"You don't make any sense, Malfoy!"

"Yes, I do.  If we break the way that it happens.  If we do something else, then my father won't be able to kill us."

"Are you suggesting that we leave Hermione there?"

"No!  I lo...err... like Hermione.  I want her safe and not killing people as much as you do.  My plan is that we both walk into the room together."

"What?" Weasley exclaimed.

"There's no first; there's no last.  Therefore, my father can't kill either of us!"  I really roared this time, letting loose all abandon at this hilarious time.  Weasley joined me for once, both of us feeling as though a wait had been lifted off of our shoulders.

A/N:  This one is not a cliffhangerish as the others.  Except for the whole Harry thing.  Review please.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I fixed it!  It's edited (sort of) and now it makes more sense.  I even read it over once before I posted it this time.  

Disclaimer:  This computer belongs to the school and these characters belong to J.K. Rowling.  

Ron

"So tell me again why your father can't lie." I asked Malfoy.  We were making our way down a dirt, brightly lit road.

"Well, The Dark Lord puts a spell on all of his followers.  He had security issues last time, right?  So now, whatever my dad says he will do, he has to do.  If he says that he will never hurt He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, then he won't.  It works on "If-then" statements to.  He said he will either kill the first or last one, but since there will be no first or last one, he can't kill us!"

"You have a really strange family, you know."

"Yeah, I know.  But it's not like yours is completely normal.  You're all redheaded."

Ron ran a hand threw his fiery hair protectively.  "What's wrong with redheads."

"They don't look good with me.  They make me look more tanned and I hate looking tanned.  It's so unoriginal."

"So, you're saying that you hate my family because they're so pale next to you, you look tan?"

"Yeah."

"God, your strange!."  There was silence for a few moments.  I realized that that was the first conversation with him I've had where I didn't want to hit him.  Well, almost didn't want to hit him.  "So, how much further to your house?" I asked.

"About fifteen miles.  And its not a house, it's a manor."

"Whatever.  You live in it, it's a house.  Not that what your family and you do is called living," I told him sarcastically.  "Your evil father is the one took Hermione.  She could be being tortured right now, you know.  And it's all your fault."  I layered the guilt on him because I knew that he would soon make a comment about my house.

Malfoy smirked.  "So, what's going on between you and Hermione?"  

How does he do that?  He always knows exactly what will hurt me the most.  "I mean, you act like she's your girlfriend, but she doesn't," he continued, still smirking.

"What do you mean by that?"

"By what?"  He looked way to innocent.

"By saying that she doesn't act like my girlfriend.  What do you mean by that?"

He looked flustered, but quickly regained his composer.  "Whatever I want to mean by that.  Now answer the question."

He looked suspicious.  Malfoy never got flustered, even if he did recover quickly.  I voiced the question that had been aching in the back of my mind for days.  "Did something happen between you two?"

Hermione

"Harry."

"Yeah, it's me."

"Where are you?"  I looked around again, but still couldn't see him.

"I'm under my invisibility cloak."

"How did you get here?"

"Well, Hogwarts is the safest place around, right?"

"Yes, on numerous occasions precious things have been hidden here.  The Holy Grail, Excalibur, and the Philosophers stone are only a few examples.  I read about it in…"  I wasn't even sure what I started saying then.  When I get nervous, I ramble of facts.  And I was very nervous.

After all, I was having a relationship with Harry's greatest rival.

Harry laughed at my predictability.  "Yes, exactly.  Dumbledore thought that I would be safer if I was at Hogwarts, but no one knew it.  He hid me under the castle in a large room made of some magical metal."

"But you got out?  Why can't you just do what is safe?"

"You know me, Hermione."  There was a smile in his voice.

"You're always looking for an adventure," I said, knowing that Harry would never change.

"Yes, so I got out, and went exploring."

"You shouldn't have done that!  It wasn't safe," I scolded.

Harry laughed.  "It's good to hear you again.  Anyway, I found the room that you were in with the Death Eater.  I noticed that they were portkeying you away, and since I had my invisibility cloak on, I figured-"

"That you would play hero and save me."

"Well, yes."

"Did you see D- Ron?"  I was going to say Draco, but I realized that Harry would wonder why I was concerned with Draco.  I knows that I'm concerned with Ron, so I asked that instead.

"Ron's here?  Can't leave you guys alone for a month without you putting your lives in danger, can I?"

I smiled, desperately wishing I could see him.  I hated talking to him while he was wearing the cloak.  It seemed more like a telephone conversation.

"Can I ask you something?" Harry said, unexpectedly.

"What?"

"Did something happen between you and Ron?"  He sounded very nervous.

"No," I said bluntly.

"Oh.  Well."  He sounded unsure and so unHarry like.  "You see, last summer…well…Ron…err…said something to me…"

I looked at the direction that his voice was coming some with a curious gaze.

"He…err…told me that he loved you."  He paused here, as if waiting for me to say something.

"I know.  I mean, I didn't know that he told you, but…"

"You mean, he told you?"

"Yes.  I just don't think of him like that.  Harry, why are we having this conversation?"

"Well, he told me that before you told me that…err… thing that you told me in September."

I raised an eyebrow.  I knew what he was talking about, but I didn't understand where he was going with it.  He was talking about when I said that I loved him.  He couldn't possibly be saying what I think he's saying.  Could he?

"So…err…what he said sort of influenced my answer."

I dropped down the floor, for no apparent reason apart from my legs stopped working.

Harry took off his cloak, so I could see him.  He looked so much like, well, himself, that I lost my breath.

"Hermione, "he said, sitting down in front of me and taking my hands in his.  "I love you.

The door burst open.  In stepped Lucuis Malfoy.

Draco

Wow.  How come I did not see that coming?

"Well, did it?"

"Err…We need to go left here."  I told him as we came to a fork in the road, desperately wishing that I could think of something to say.

"You're avoiding the question."  Weasley folded his arms and looked at me crossly.

I finally thought of something to do.  I laughed.  "Don't try to intimidate me, Weasley.  I've faced worse then you."

He face fell, and I laughed some more.

"Do you seriously think that I would touch Granger?  I mean, come on!  I thought you had the right image of me, Weasley."

He looked at the ground and continued walking.  Thank God.

"Well, that's a relief.  I was beginning to think that you fancied her.  And if that happened, she might hurt your poor little ferret feelings," Weasley smirked.

I bit my tongue trying not to say anything.   I just concentrated on walking.  One foot in front of the other.

"You just don't handle rejection well" he continued, still walking.

"Yeah, and you don't want the competition."

Weasley stopped dead in his tracks.  "What do you mean by that?"

"By what?"

"God damn it!  Let's not get into that again.  Just tell me, do you think that _I _fancy Hermione?"

"Oh, please!  It's written all over your face.  You're like a bloody, drooling puppy."  My voice caught in my throat as I said this.

"Do you think that she likes me?"  
  


I froze.  I couldn't answer that.  "What do you think?"

"I really don't know.  That's why I'm asking you, Malfoy."

"Boy, those are six words I never thought that I would hear you string together," I told him, trying to change the subject.

"You're not answering my question."

I gulped.  I knew what answering his question would do.  It would send him off, stopping us from defeating my father.  But I had to say it.  "No."

He looked at me blankly for a moment.  "Why not?"

My voice found me before I knew it would.  "Because she's with me."

Weasley gave my a hard look.  A look of pure hatred and loathing, before he turned and ran into a nearby forest.  

"Weasley!"  I yelled, running after him.

If only I could have lied to him.  Unfortunately, my father was not the only one who was cursed.

A/N: Wow, my cliffhangers are getting worse and worse as this goes on.  I hope you liked.  I still need ideas for the next chapter.  I have no clue where this is going, so some help would be nice.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Yay!  Have I told you that I love reviews!  Because I do.  I actually have thirty-six reviews which is thirty-six more then I started with.

Disclaimer:  I am in a typing class and my fingers hurt.  Therefore, there will be no disclaimer today.

Ron

I ran.  I ran threw the forest as fast as I could.  I felt the sharp branches from trees brush and scrape my face.  I didn't care.

I could hear Malfoy yelling my name from behind me.  I didn't care.  I just had to get away.  Away from him.

Everything that I had been thinking for the past month was gone.  I couldn't think.  Every thought that came across my mind hurt to much to bare.  I just kept running and running before I collapsed from exhaustion on the forest floor.

"Weasley!  Where the hell are you?"  I could still hear him yelling for me.  I could tell that he was getting closer so I hid myself under a nearby bush.

I concentrated on a small ant crawling across the floor instead of on what he had just said to me.  I didn't want to believe it.

_"Because she's with me." _ His voice played over and over in my mind, growing louder each time.  I reached over and slammed my hand down hard against the ant.

I lifted it up and saw that it was, now, no more then a speck of filth on my hands.  I had had it with this.

I decided right then and there that I didn't want to see either of them again.  I just wanted to leave, and do what we should have done in the first place.

Go find Harry.

And I knew how to do it too.  I pulled out my wand and a strand of Harry's hair that I had.  I wrapped the hair around my wand and muttered the familiar spell.  "_Etacinummoc."_

Most people would find it strange that I happen to have a strand of Harry's hair lying around in my pocket, but I do need male friends to talk to.  Harry and I have been communicating like this ever since he was taken away.  He never told me where he was of course.  That information is strictly classified.

"Harry,"  I said in a voice that only he and I could hear because of the spell.  "Harry, are you there?"

"Ron?"  His voice echoed in my brain.  His voice always made me feel safer.  Harry was always calm and cool in a crisis, and that had an effect on me.

"Who else talks to you through your head?"

"Well…no one, really."

"Exactly.  Harry, we need your help?"

"There are so many muggle comic books I could make a joke about right now; I just can't pick one."

"No time for jokes now!  We need to find Hermione."

"She's here."  
  


"She's with you?  She's safe?"

"Not so much.  She and I are tied up, waiting to be tortured by one of the two evil Malfoys."

"Oh, shit.  How'd you get over there?"

"Time-consuming, difficult, complicated, long and confusing story.  It'll have to wait 'til later."

"Whatever.  Harry, tell Hermione that…that…I'll never forgive her for what she did."  I had to think about what to say.  I was still very angry, and I wanted her to know it.

"What a comforting statement."  I heard his voice change volume as he talked to Hermione.  He sounded muffled, like there was a pillow over his face, but that was normal for this spell.

"Ron?"  I heard his voice coming through clearly now.

"Yes?"

"She's crying."

"What?"

"She looks real upset, Ron."

Hermione 

Why did everything he say have to be so hurtful?  Why can't I just brush of his comments?  Why did he matter so much?

The tears were streaming from my face freely now, and I had no reason to stop them.  I just let them flow.

"Hermione, don't cry.  Whatever you did won't matter in a few years, will it?"

I turned to look at Harry's worried face.  His eyes told me he wanted to know what was going on, but wouldn't ask.

I just couldn't tell him what was going on.  "Tell Ron that I'm sorry.  Tell him, tell him to tell you what he knows."  I looked down at the ground, ashamed.  I knew they would be upset.

I looked back at Harry's face and watched the expression of worry turn to anger.  "WHAT?" he exclaimed.  He turned to me, rage settling over his features.  "Hermione, what is wrong with you?  After Ron tells you how he feels, you just go and be with MALFOY!"

I suddenly felt anger as well.  I was just about to scream at him, but, to my surprise, Harry laughed.  "Don't worry.  I know that Draco Malfoy might be…err…appealing to some people.  I also know that you would never be with him if you found someone better.  I'm sure that you already know who you'd choose."  Harry's little half smile returned to his face.

My mouth hung open.  I did know, but I didn't want to say.  "Harry, if it came to a choice between the three of you, I would choose…

"Me, right?" Harry's hopeful smile born into my soul, hurting more then he could ever know.

I delayed my answer by watching a small spider crawl across the floor.  A tear dropped from my eye and landed on the spider.  It shivered in pain for a moment before growing larger, changing color and shape.

Before me stood Lucius Malfoy.

(A/N: Wouldn't it be great if I ended it there!  He, he.  I'm not that mean though.  And this section is way too short, so I kept going."

He sneered as he addressed us.  "Well, well, well.  I have mentioned how interesting it is to find you hear Harry, but it is so much greater to find out what this girl means to you."

I cast a worried glance at Harry, who had an angry look on his face.  The same one he had had the moment I fell in love with him.  When we were eleven and he was leaving to face Voldemort.

"Of course, my master would be please to hear this.  We might even make a change in our plan to accommodate this new information."

"What plan?" Harry asked through clenched teeth.

"You can't do that!  What about Draco and Ron?" I shouted at the man who was threatening my friends lives.

"I can do what I want.  We will send people to retrieve them.  I was looking forward to killing one of your friends, now I will kill two."  
  


My heart sank.

Draco 

"Weasley!"  It was getting darker and darker and I still couldn't find the little brat.  "Weasley!  Let's talk about this!"

I glance around, hoping to see him appear from behind a tree, but no such luck.

"Weas-"

A popping sound interrupted my call.  Two pairs of hands from tall, cloaked people grabbed my arms.  I was saw two more of these men pulling Ron out from under a nearby bush.

He glanced at me, hatred still in his eye.

The world suddenly went blurry as the two men apperated, dragging me along with them.  I was suddenly in a room where two familiar people were chained to a wall.

"Hermione!" I called at the same time as Weasley, who must have just come in.  She turned her weary head towards us, a tear flowing down her cheek.

Both Weasley and I were moved to the wall and soon had chains magicked around our wrists and ankles.  

Then my father came into the room.  "As you can see, we have changed the plan."

"Why?" I snapped.  "Are we just some puppets to play around with?"

"At the moment, yes."

"Great," said Potter.

"My change in plans occurred when I found out some new information.  I happen to have been spying on our two captives.  Being an Animangious has so may benefits, its amazing.  While I was listening I found out some of the most interesting information."  He paused for dramatic affect here.  I hate it when he does that.  "Harry Potter loves Hermione Granger."

I did not expect that.  My jaw dropped; I was stunned.  I whipped my head over to see Hermione and found that she was crying.  Potter was turning slightly pink.  Weasley was purple.

"What?" he exclaimed, still turning more and more colorful.

"Yes," my father said in a calm voice.  "And it has come to my attention that the two of you do as well."  A cold sneer came across his face and I could see him thinking about how awful his plan would be.

Hermione was still looking at the ground, tears flowing from her eyes.

"My new plan is even more of a…hand off kind of thing.  You will all be put back into the Trophy room.  In exactly forty-eight hours, I will come in.  Granger will choose the one she wants to live, and I will kill the other two."

Good lord, this man could think on his feet.  I have no doubts that he made that up while standing there.

"Jackass," I commented, as we were unchained and prepared to be moved back into the Trophy room.

A/N: That was a bit shorter then most of the other chapters, but I doubt that you notice.  I hoped you liked this.

I need help.  Who do you think Hermione should choose?


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: This chapter is a bit longer because internet wasn't working in my class and all I could do to pass the time was edit this.  Maybe it's better then my other ones because I thought about it a bit more, or maybe is still sucks.  Anyways, read it, and tell me!

Disclaimer:  It's not mine!  Leave me alone!

Harry 

I lay on the floor of the Trophy room.  It was cold and the floor was hard, but there was no alternative.

Hermione had locked herself in the bathroom as soon as the Death Eaters left.  I didn't blame her, but I was very glad that there was a small potted plant in the room.

Ron and Malfoy were asleep, also on the floor.  I always thought they were lucky that they could fall asleep so easily.  Unlike me, who stays awake for hours, dreading the dreams that come over me so quickly.  The dreams that involved people I loved dying.  Ron, the Weasleys, Sirius.  And Hermione.

I had just closed my eyes, hoping that the night would pass quickly when I heard a small creak.

I opened my eyes to see a small sliver of light dance across the room as Hermione opened the bathroom door.

I don't know what kept me from sitting up then to speak to her, but I wish I had.  I wish I hadn't let her close the door and walk quickly across the room to where Malfoy lay.

I could faintly see from the light protruding from the cracks around the bottom of the bathroom door.

Ron slept closer to me, where as Malfoy lay near the back wall. 

He did not get up, but I saw his head lift and his eyes come in contact with Hermione's.  I saw him motion for her to come nearer.  And I saw her snuggle up against his chest.

"How are you?" I heard his drawl, though not sounding as obnoxious as usual.

"Just great.  I'm going to end up killing two of the three people I want to live more then anything."

"I know."  I saw him run a hand gently through her hair.  "It will all work out in the end."

"How?" I heard her desperate voice.  "How can I bear to see any of you dead?  How can I live with the fact that if it weren't for me, they'd still be alive?  How can –"

Malfoy interrupted her last question with a kiss.  I felt my hands clench into fists, but I didn't move.  I didn't blink.  I was waiting for her to slap him, hoping against hope that she would make him stop.

But she didn't.  Her hands moved up around his neck as she gently responded.  The kiss grew deeper and deeper and lasted for a few minuets.

Finally she broke it off.  "Don't do that."

I took a breath of relief.  _You tell him, Hermione_, I thought.

"Don't try to make this better.  It's not going to get better," she persisted, her voice trying to stay quiet.

"Yes, it will.  I will make it get better.  We will find a way out of this room, and we will get help."

"How?"

"Don't worry about it," he comforted her, pulling her into his arms for another kiss.

I couldn't stand this.  I couldn't sit here and watch this happen.  I stood up, preparing to jump Malfoy and break his face.  Just as I started to move my feet, and orange blur shoot past my left side.

Ron 

I dove at Malfoy for what seemed the thousandth time in the past few days.  Again, he expected nothing and I took him by complete surprise.

I remembered how I had felt yesterday, before I found the secret door.  I remembered how I felt a few hours ago, when I found out about Hermione and him.

And I let all of my feelings take action.

I grabbed Malfoy's head and pulled it away from Hermione's.  Unfortunately, I overestimated the distance between the him and the wall, and ran both of us headlong into it.

It took both of us a second to recover, but as soon as I had, I jumped on him again.

He struggled beneath me, trying to get free of the hold my knees had on his chest.  He succeeded by pulling one arm free and punching me in the stomach.

I staggered backward as he moved away from me, toward Hermione.

"Don't…touch…her," I gasped for lack of breath.

"Don't beat me up!" he complained.

To my infuriation, Harry laughed.  "The clause for Neanderthals.  'You no touch Og's girl.'  'You no hurt Bob.'"  Harry, still chuckling, walked around the group to lean on the door.  "Am I the only one who thinks this is funny?"

"Yes!" All three of us cried.  

Hermione let out an exasperated breath.  "Harry, God knows we love your sense of humor, but this is not the time for it."

"I don't see why your so lackadaisical about this," I commented.

"Careful with that word; you could choke on it."

"Oi!  If Harry gets scolded, why doesn't Malfoy?" I complained.

"Because she likes me better," Malfoy smirked.  Harry and I glared intensely at him.

"Ron did have a good question, though," Hermione states, still ignoring Malfoy's comments.  "No one else is making jokes."

"Because," Harry started.  "Who's the one she's loved for years?"

Hermione turned a deep scarlet.  "Harry, please."

"You actually liked Potter?" Malfoy exclaimed.  If it made Malfoy unhappy, I don't really care that Harry just said I have no chance.  Wait, yes I did.

"She doesn't feel that way anymore, Harry.  She told me so." I tried to keep a grin from spreading across my face.

"Right after you told me I did," she muttered.  "Don't you all get it?  I can't do this!  I can't decided between you guys!" Her tone had changed and she was yelling now.  "I can't just let you guys die.  I can't choose which one of you will live.  I can't hurt any of you!"

"Just pick Harry or me, and stop worrying about hurting Malfoy's feelings.  He hasn't got any." I commented.  I probably sounded rather bitter, but that was fine with me, because I felt bitter.

"Could you stop being a pain in the arse for a few minutes?" Malfoy suggested.

"Bugger off, Malfoy.  I don't see how you got yourself into this situation, but I would rather that you left."

"Ron.  Hermione," Harry said from the doorway.

"That's just too damn bad, Weasley.  I don't know how I got tangled up in this mess, myself.  But at least it makes you upset."

Hermione went over to Harry.

"Ron," Harry said once more.

"You annoy the shit out of me, you know that!"

"Ron!" Harry shouted now.

"What the bloody hell is it, Harry?"

"Look at the door," Hermione said quietly.

Hermione Ron and Draco turned to the door, the same time.  Their faces showed the same reaction mine had had. 

The door was glowing bright red.

"What the hell…" Draco started.

"I've read about this.  It the prison spell."  I spun toward the boys, expecting to see apprehension on their face.

"Hermione, your talking to _us_.  You might want to elaborate."

"It's a spell used on the minor prisons," I started to explain.

"Minor prisons?" Harry interrupted.

"Not everyone goes to Azkaban," Draco said, more sarcastically then necessary.

"Exactly.  The people who Mr. Weasley deals with have to pay a fine.  If they skip the fine, the get put in a minor prison for a few months.  This spell enables the door to open only from the outside.  All we need to do is contact someone out there!"  My voice grew louder as I became more excited.

"We should make sure that this is the right spell.  We don't want to hurt whoever we get," Harry cautioned.

"Good idea.  Draco, what exactly did you see when you walked out?"  I turned my attention to him.

He paused for a moment before he said, "Filch."

"You saw Filch?"

"Isn't he a squib?"

"Maybe Mrs. Norris did it."

"Can cats do spells?

"Maybe.  There could be some cat language that enables cats to speak in Latin.

Ron and Harry seemed to think that this conversation was hilarious and ensued on laughing hysterically.

I, who did not think this was in any way funny, pulled Draco into one of the far corners, so we could not be heard if we whispered.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Why didn't you mention Filch before?  Are you hiding something, Draco?"

He bluntly answered me.  "Yes."

I furrowed my brow as I looked at him.  Since he was hiding something, why did he just flat out tell me?  He wasn't making any sense at all.

Before I could ask him anymore, he had gone to the far wall and said "_Ruducto_!"

The wall burst open into a whole the size for us to walk through.  Unfortunately, we were fifty feet off the ground and were just provided for a view of the Hogwarts grounds.

"What are you doing?"

"What the bloody hell are you doing, Malfoy?" Ron yelled from the other side of the room, his attention no longer on Filch.

"What does it look like I'm doing, you daft prick?  I'm getting Hagrid."

Draco 

Yes, I may have changed over the past two days, but I still wasn't going to admit that I locked us all in here.  That I was the one who endangered all of our lives.  I mean, come on!

Getting Hagrid seemed to be the logical thing to do.  After all, he was a big idiot with no where else to be.

I strode purposely over to the and of the floor and gazed off onto the Hogwarts grounds.

"And how does blasting a big hole in the wall help?" Potter shouted.

I turned to him.  "Dunno.  I haven't thought that far out, yet."

"You could put the Dark Mark into the sky.  Bet that'll attract some attention," Weasley muttered, his voice full of hate and anger.

"Or we could hang you by your feet and dangle you out the window.  Your hair would attract the same amount of attention," I said back, just as testily.

"I think the Dark Mark would help more," Potter commented, moving to stand next to Weasley.

"Keep talking, Potter." I moved menacingly toward the two of them.

"I'm about to string you all up by your dicks and hang you outside.  Maybe that will attract some attention from Hagrid," Hermione said with a glare.  I turned toward her and raised an eyebrow.  She blushed a pretty pink before continuing.  "If you all could stop fighting for a little while so we can FIGURE OUT WHAT THE BLOODY HELL TO DO!"

I smirked at Potter and Weasley's shocked expressions.  The seemed to be frightened of Hermione's sudden explosion.  I always found the outburst kind of cute.

"Now, why don't you summon your Firebolt, Harry."

Potter, sheepishly, picked up his wand.  "_Accio!_" He shouted and we waited.  And waited.  We waited patiently for the broom to fly into Harry's ready hand.

But it didn't.

"Try your broom, Draco," Hermione ordered.

I could easily picture my Nimbus 2001 sitting in my closet.  I closed my eyes and said the word.  "_Accio!" _Nothing happened again.

"I wouldn't bother with that if I were you," said the cold, cruel voice of my father from the bathroom doorway.

A/N: And you thought we got rid of Lucius.  Ha!  It was a kinda action packed chapter.  There was less Death Eaters and more of the good, ole, Soap Operaish stuff we all love!  Well, the Death Eater junk came back in the end, but you get the point.

Next chapter should have the final solution in getting out of the room.  After that will be an epilogue.  Then it's the end!  If you want a sequel, say so, and I'll see if I have time after I finish all my other stories.  We're kind of over run at the moment with other fics.

Please review!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Long chapter!  Long, action packed chapter!  Yay!  I'm so excited for myself.  It's a third longer then they usually are, (yes I keep track) so I hope  you enjoy.

Disclaimer:  I'm not J. K. Rowling.  I don't think I can spell it out any clearer.  I could make up a song, but I'll leave that for the next disclaimer.

Harry

Lucius Malfoy stood in font of the entrance to the bathroom, his long blonde hair strangely made him seem more intimidating.  

"I forgot to mention to you that we preformed a quick spell that stops you from conducting magic that evolves the outside of this room.  I also instructed my fellow Death Eaters to put an un-enchantment charm on the other wall.  Can't have you all cheating now, can you."

"Bitch," Draco muttered, much to my amusement.

"And I thought the Malfoy motto was: 'There's no such thing as cheating, only playing your strengths,'" I added, .

"Indeed it was," Malfoy commented (Draco, not Lucius).  "But killing each others children was never a plus statement.  I guess things have changed."

"That they have, Draco.  That they have.  I'll be back in thirty six hours!"  With that, Lucius Malfoy pulled out a fancy looking pen and portkeyed away.

"Well, there goes my plan," Malfoy said.

"Goddamn it!" Ron swore.  We all turned to look at him.  "Just a random comment on this whole situation."

"I have to agree with him there," Malfoy said.

"Well, your random comments aren't helping the situation at all, so why don't you just keep them to your self!" Hermione snapped.  Not just verbally, but I cold tell that she had mentally snapped.  Through the events of the past couple of days, her hair hadn't been very well cared for.  It was bushy and tangled at her shoulders.  Her eyes were blood shot from the stress and her nails were bitten into stubs.

"What do you suppose we do?" Ron asked.

"I don't know!" Hermione sat on the ground, covering her already red eyes with her hands.

"I do," I said, for it was true.  I knew exactly what we needed to do.  We needed to squash the hope of Ron and Malfoy so they would stop being so expectant.  Maybe then, they would forget pleasing Hermione and think for themselves.  Most of all, we needed to take the pressure of Hermione shoulders so she could concentrate.

"Do you, Potter?  Well, by all means, why don't you impart your knowledge upon our inferior brains," Malfoy sneered.

"Hermione," I started, lowering myself into a crouching position so I could look directly into her eyes.  "You need to choose."

"What?" she said softly, bringing her eyes to meet mine.

"Choose," I told her simply.

"Just like that, you expect her to choose?" Malfoy asked me.  I could hear hatred in his voice.

"Well, it is obvious who she's going to pick,'" I told him.  I stood up, so not to give Malfoy the impression of towering over me.  "I mean, she has loved me for years."

Malfoy's cold ice-blue eyes grew colder.  "You really believe that?"

Suddenly, I felt panicked.  I needed an answer from her now.  "Pick, Hermione."

She remained silent.

"Hermione," I started, but she still ignored my pleading.  "Damn it, Hermione!  You need to choose!"

Her silence got the better of me then.  I reached down and grabbed her shoulders.  I shook her as I yelled, "Answer me, goddamn it!"

A solitary sob escaped her throat.  A lonely tear slid down her cheek.  "Let go," she whispered as she looked into my eyes.

"Harry!" I heard Ron shout, but I continued to probe her for an answer.

"Just give me a fucking answer!"

Then a freckled fist hit me square in the jaw.

Ron

For the first time in my life, I hit my best friend.  I had hoped to bring him to his senses.  After all, we both saw Hermione and Draco kissing a few minutes ago.  There was no reason for him to still think that she loved him.  So I hit him, thinking I could knock some sense into him.

Unfortunately, all I did was knock the sense out of him.

Harry fell back from Hermione, stunned.  But not for long.  His hand went to his jaw, for a minuet, as he seemed to think over what had happened.  Harry stood up and looked me in the eye.

"You hate me too, now.  Is that it?"

"Don't touch her like that again," I told him firmly, my menacing glare never leaving his face.

"Just let her choose, idiot!  You're just upset that you know she's not going to choose you."

"Watch your mouth, Potter!" I screamed at him.  How could he say that to me?  How could he be acting like this?

"You all know who she's going to pick!  Deal with it!  She needs to take the hope away from you guys!  You need to concentrate on a plan and stop thinking that she might choose you!" Harry screamed, spinning to glare at Malfoy as well.

"How do you know that she won't choose me?" Malfoy sneered, drawled, or smirked.  However you want to put it.

"BECAUSE SHE HATES YOU!"

"Harry."  Hermione's voice sounded like a small bell in the middle of a war.  Malfoy moved closer to her, in case her words drew Harry's attention back to her.  He grabbed her hand and pulled her up, attempting to take her out of the room.

Harry ignored this and turned back to me.  "And she thinks of you as a friend.  Think about it, Ron.  Did you ever believe you could compete with me?"

Malfoy froze.  Hermione froze.  It seemed to me that time had frozen.  I remembered all the times I had been pushed to the side when Harry had walked into a room.

Harry didn't freeze, he just sneered.

I pulled my arm back and pushed it forewords with all my might.  I put my whole body into that punch.  When my fist made contact with his face, his head swung to the side.

He turned back to look at me.  "You hit me all the time now, huh?  Is that our new relationship?"  Harry's fist collided with my cheek.

I didn't even think about what I did next, I just tackled him.  Hermione and Malfoy didn't matter anymore.  All that mattered was that my best friend felt that he was better then me.

I'm not sure exactly what happened in the next two minutes.  I am sure that I landed four good punches and that Harry delivered five painful kicks as well as three hurtful punches.  It seems that suddenly, Hermione was there, pulling Harry off of me.

Maybe he thought it was Malfoy or maybe he was just confused.  Whatever the reason, Harry turned and swung his fist behind him, seeking for any contact whatsoever.

He hit her hard in the forehead, sending her soaring backwards into a wall.

Hermione 

I awoke in the bathroom, my body lying on the cold tile.  There was something cushioning my head, but I wasn't sure what it was.

I tried to sit up, but the second my head left the floor, I felt so dizzy that I lay it back down.

"Hermione," I heard from someone nearby.

"Draco?" I said, my voice sounding horribly dry.

"Yeah.  Ron's in here, too."

"How are you doing, Hermione?" I felt pressure on my hand and quickly realized that someone was holding my hand.  I turned my head to see the familiar freckly face of Ron.

"I don't know.  What happened?"

"Potter and his nancy-boy-self hit you," Draco commented.  I could tell that he was sitting on the other side of me.  "It knocked you out. Guess he has muscles hidden somewhere under those toothpick arms.  We brought you out there, leaving Potter to 'think about what he's done.'"  Draco ended on a sarcastic note.

"Ron, how are you?" I asked, my voice sounding better, stronger.

"Was I losing that badly?  I'm fine.  Don't look as bad as Malfoy did after I got him before.  My week for punches, it seems."

I laughed, slowly rising.  The dizziness had subsided.  "I need to talk to Harry."

"Why?" Draco nearly shouted.

"Get me outside, please," I said in a stronger voice.

"But, he… Hermione, you've been knocked out for a while."  Draco started off angrily, but calmed himself.

"Oh, god."  The realization dawned on me.

"Lucius Malfoy should be here any minute," Ron clarified.

"Then we need to get out there."  _How are we going to fix this?_ I asked myself.  Malfoy will be ready for something.  He could anticipate any action from Draco.  He probably expects Harry or I will rebel, as well.  Then it hit me.  "Ron," I muttered.  "I need to talk to Ron, Draco."

Draco looked at me, then at Ron.  He mumbled something incoherent and stepped outside of the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

"What is it?" Ron asked.

"We need a plan.  And to do it, I'm going to need your cooperation."

Draco 

Potter looked up from the noise the door made when I shut it.  He was practically huddled in a corner, his body crumpled on the ground.  I had never seen him look like that before.  The hate in his eyes seemed more like a prisoner is afraid of a warden.

In the years before, he had always treated me as if I was below him, and I did the same.  Now, with his eyes blood shot and moist with tears, I felt something I had never felt for him before.  Pity.

"Malfoy," he croaked.  "What do you want?"

"They kicked me out," I explained.

"She wanted to apologize, no doubt.  'Don't worry, Ron.  It'll all be okay,'" he mimicked bitterly.

"Is there any proof that it's not?"  I raised an eyebrow.

Potter jumped to his feet, and strode over to look me in the eye, with a quickness that surprised me.  "We are all going to _die!_  Do you really think that who Hermione picks is going to matter?  You know your father!  He's just toying with us before we're all killed!"

I blanched at him.  "I hadn't thought of that," I found myself saying.

"I had," said the familiar voice of my father from behind me.  I turned to look at him.  "But you know I can't do that, Draco."

The bathroom door swung open and Weasley strode out, Hermione grasping his arm to keep her standing up straight.

"Good.  You're here.  Shall we get on with it then?" my father said to Hermione with such an evil look on his face, that I couldn't help but want to hit him.

"Do what you want," she said, her voice cold and strong.

"That I will.  Whom do you choose, mudblood?  The hero, the bad boy, or the sweet, caring friend?"  There was such mockery in his words, as if we were all big jokes.

Hermione looked at me, staring me in the eyes when her soft lips parted and she spoke one word.  "Ron."

(A/N: Muahaha!  You did not see that coming!  Don't even lie!  This could be the end of the chapter, you know.  But it's not.  Keep reading!)

My jaw dropped.  I could hear Potter making some choking noises from behind me.  Weasley just stood there, his face betraying no emotion.

Then my eyes went back to Hermione as I met her gaze once more.  I still don't understand it, but there was something that told me that everything would be okay.

"Really?  How sweet.  I am touched."  My father, of course, was not touched, but he liked using sarcasm to much to let this moment pass.  "Right, one with the plan!"

I saw him turn and point his wand at Potter.  I saw him open his mouth and begin to speak the final words.

I did not, on the other hand, see what Weasley was doing.  All I noticed was some muttering in the back of the room, and a shiny object being launched across the room.  It hit my father in the back of his head, and he fell over, the words stuck on his lips.

A/N: That is the end.  We're almost done!  Only one more chapter.  I haven't heard anything about a sequel, so I guess no one likes me.  _Sniff.  _Yeah, whatever.  I have more important things to write.  If five people request a sequel, however, I'll be more then happy to write one.  Whatever.


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: I dug myself into a hole with that last chapter.  My sister tells me that Hermione and Harry should get together in this story.  She said that because he was always being so sweet to her.  So, in the last chapter I had him be a jerk.  Unfortunately, I don't know how I will make everyone forgive Harry.  So this is going to be my best attempt at that.

Here it is.

Harry

I stared at the fallen body on the ground in awe.  "You killed him," I muttered, appalled by the fact, but not really sad.

Ron walked over, his wand still held in front of him, and felt Lucius for a pulse.  "No.  I just knocked him out."

"Oh."  I noticed some blood running from his almost white hair.  The two colors together had a nauseating effect on me, and I had to move farther away from the heap on the floor.

"What are we going to do now?" Hermione asked.

"We're still stuck in here.  We could try to see if we could get out of the hole in the wall.  You know, levitate down, or something," I suggested, not looking Hermione in the eye.  I just couldn't because of the way I had acted before.  

"Human levitations can go very badly," Malfoy said, gazing out the big hole in the wall.  (A/N: How come most stories I've read mention that human levitations aren't safe?  Is it mentioned in the books?)  

"Any other ideas?" I asked, a desperate tone in my voice.

"If we're going to do something, we better do it now," Malfoy said loudly.  "Because Hagrid's outside his cabin."

The other three of us rushed over to see that, sure enough, Hagrid was gardening.  Unfortunately, he looked like an ant from the distance we were away from him.

"Crap," I said.

"How are we supposed to get him to see us?" Ron asked no one in particular.

"Well, there was that dangling Ron out of a window idea," Malfoy offered, a smirk on his face.

To my surprise, Ron laughed.  "We might have to resort to that."

All three of them laughed.  I suddenly felt left out.  No one was really talking to me, or laughing with me.  I felt like I had been banished from their minds.  Banished…

"Oh!" I shouted, angry with myself that I didn't think of it sooner.  "We can banish a trophy over to him!  He'll look up and see the hole!"  I felt like jumping around in delight because I had figured out what to do.

"That will work!" Hermione shouted, excited that we would finally be getting out of here.

Malfoy went ahead and banished the trophy.  We all watched as the golden glint got smaller and smaller until it bounced off the hut of Hagrid's roof.

Unfortunately, we couldn't tell if he saw us or not.  "I guess we'll have to wait.  Good thinking, Harry," Ron said.

I tried not to smile too much at the thought that they might not hate me.

Ron 

Harry had a stupid grin plastered on his face.  Yeah, sure, I said something nice, but it wasn't that nice.  It wasn't like I was going to immediately forgive him for what he said.

I glared at Harry, but he didn't notice.  Why does that irritate me so much?  He's almost as bad as Draco used to be.

Whoa.  If anyone asks, I did not just call him Draco.  I did not just call him Draco.  His name is Malfoy.

"He's coming," _Malfoy _said, interrupting my thoughts, thank God.  "Hagrid's coming!  We're getting out of here!"

After a chorus of cheers and Hermione hugging everyone (including Harry), we all gathered to watch Hagrid's slow movements up to the castle.

(A/N: This could have been the end, you know.  But that would be way to short, and seeing as this is the last chapter, you get more.)

"You know this could be the end of the story," Hermione said.  "Everything is going our way.  We're all still alive.  The bad guy is disabled.  We're about to be rescued.  Everything is perfect." 

I wonder if Hermione ever notices that she sounds like a badly written book.  "Or some of our ways," I said with a pointed look at Malfoy.  Hermione had explained to me that she liked Malfoy better in _that _way then she did either Harry or me.

Now, one might think that I would be a bit bitter about this.  Well, I am.  But I know that she'll eventually choose me.  In the end, she'd rather be with me.  After all, I've been her best friend for years.  She gets along best with me.

She's got to pick me.

Right?

Hermione 

I smiled at Ron's comment.  We had talked it out while we were in the bathroom and I knew he understood.

I hadn't, on the other hand, spoken to Harry.  And I'm not sure I want to.  It wasn't that I didn't want to see Harry anymore.  After all, he was my best friend and I didn't want that to change.  Just like it didn't change with Ron.

I took Draco's hand in mine as we all watched Hagrid's path up to the school (A/N: It's a very long path).

Hagrid walked until he was right under the hole in the wall, looking up at us.  "Who's up there?" he shouted.

"It's us, Hagrid!" Ron's voice came.  "Hermione, Malfoy, Harry, and I are up here!."  (A/N: That sentence really sounds funny, but I think it's grammatically correct.)

"What are ya doin' up there?"

"Just get up here!" Draco yelled.  "Stupid oaf," he muttered.  I slapped him playfully on the arm.

He grabbed my hand to prevent me from hitting him again, and lowered his mouth to mine.

The precious moment was interrupted by gagging noises made, to my surprise, by both Harry and Ron.

Maybe this would work out after all.

Draco 

Could anyone be as annoying as Hermione's friends.  Potter is a big arrogant brat and Hagrid is a stupid clumsy oaf.  I don't get why she likes them so much.

To sum up, Hagrid and Dumbledore opened the door for us a few minuets later.  They brought us immediately to the kitchens, and then to Madame Pomphrey.  She was very unhappy about that of course.

My father was taken into custody by the Ministry.  The trial will be held in a week, and I am defiantly not afraid to testify.

Potter went back into hiding.  There may be one less insane criminal off the streets, but Voldemort was still out there.

Weasley, Hermione and I spent the rest of the break in the Great Hall or library playing chess.  I don't think I beat Weasley once.

Christmas break ended two days after we got out.  The school was soon flooded with nosy students who wanted to here about how I and the girl I hated most got together.

Well, those snooping kids got told some wild tales, believe me.  I never told two people the same thing.  Needless to say, they were all very confused when I was done with them.

I won't forget what I learned in the trophy room.  Those few days will always be on my mind, whether I want them to or not.

Potter and Weasley are the parts I don't want to remember.  But, in a way, we're bonded by those events.  The life-threatening danger brought us closer together.

What was it I told one person?  All three of us went after a prize that night, but only one of us could bring home The Trophy.

And I got her.

A/N: Yes, it is short!  It was full of stuff for the sequel.  You know, hints of plots and themes.  Does everyone get the name now?  That is what I was thinking about when I first started to write this.  I hope you all like this.

I will write a sequel, if you hadn't figured it out yet.  I got eight requests, so I will.  After I finish my other stories, though.  We're way behind.  You can go read something else of ours while your waiting though.


	11. The Sequel!

I've written the sequel!  Everybody be happy!  Okay, it's posted as The Book.  Not original name, but I'm open to suggestions.  Thanks for reading.

                                                                                                -Grace


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